Tag Archives: clean

Jun7

DAY 158

Posted on June 7, 2013 by lsgrlr

If we focus on the outside, we miss the beauty within…
-Gyeryong-San National Park S. Korea-
(Picture by Lisa R)

I have noticed something very interesting about dust. Which is; you can never really get rid of it. Dust can be managed, but if left unchecked it will always find a way to make a return. I made this very amazing discovery not that long ago (today to be exact), after I finished dusting (my new black laptop table), only to find more dust not even five minutes later. SERIOUSLY!? This made me think about the “dusty” things that we carry around in life. Things like: anger, depression, lying, frustration and stress (let’s be honest this list could go on forever). Like dust they are not always noticeable with the naked eye. We clean them up, but a strong wind can stir them up again. How do we combat daily dust? By DUSTING. We combat our life “dust’ the same way, through constant cleaning. Constant awareness that if given a chance to settle our “dust” will accumulate and consume us. On this journey we will encounter dirty, dusty days. On those days housecleaning will be required.

“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:17).

So what am I thankful for today? That God loves me, despite my dust filled days. He sees my heart.

May12

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought #55

Posted on May 12, 2013 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Mark 5. This Chapter made me take pause, and look at the human condition. Sometimes God will do something amazing and miraculous, however, in order for the work to be accomplish we must let go of something. “When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet Him, this man lived in the tombs and no one could bind him any more, not even with chains. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet…Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones” (Verses 2-5). This man was in agony, he had lost control of who he was created to be and is under the control of an entity that does not have his best interest at heart. “Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘My name is Legion,’ he replied, ‘for we are many.’ And he begged Jesus again, and again not to send them out of the area…’Send us among the pigs allow us to go inside of them. He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned” (Verses 9-13). This is why I don’t eat meat! “Those attending the pigs ran off and reported this to the town and countryside, and the people went to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus they saw the man who had been possessed, sitting there and in his right mind; and they were afraid [what!!!]. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region” (Verses 14-17). What?! Afraid?! Why? Because Jesus healed a person in pain? Because the man was in his RIGHT mind? My belief, because Jesus removed a sin that they were comfortable with. The possessed man was hurting and in pain, his very being had been taken away from him. Jesus RESTORED him, yet instead of rejoicing the people asked God to leave. Sin is dirty and painful, yet we have become so comfortable with it; that we don’t rejoice when God comes in to clean it up. No, instead we plead for Him to leave.

Mar23

DAY 82

Posted on March 23, 2013 by lsgrlr

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It is the things that you could never buy that are worth the most… Life, love, friendship, and joy.

I think I have alluded to the fact that I dislike cleaning in an earlier post. Today (despite this dislike) I decided to clean my closet (no fun…seriously, none whatsoever). Here’s what I learned. I have A LOT of stuff. A lot of needless, useless stuff, that I have been holding on to because, “I may need it later.” Guess what? Later came…I didn’t need them. So today as I was cleaning, I made a conscious effort to not think to myself, “I may need this later”. Oddly, trying to maintain this frame of thought was harder than you would think. As I struggled to let go of things that I will never use again, I had this thought…Why do we get so attached to STUFF? This need to accumulate possessions is not just a disease of the closet, it is a disease of life.

The latest gadgets and hippest clothes have become a necessity. Our possessions and NOT our character are what dictates our self-worth. Society has taught us to judge people by WHAT they have, and not by WHO they are. Therefore, to be liked, appreciated and seen as “someone” we accumulate…THINGS. Today I have thrown out a lot of my material possessions, and still I have somehow managed to maintain my identity. We are not the sum of our “purchases”. Our person-hood (yeah it’s not a word, but it works) cannot be determined by what we own. Instead it’s our personal growth and the time and energy we pour into the lives of the people we care about. Our ability to see the needs of others and not just focus on ourselves. These are the things that determine our worth. When I leave this earth, I don’t want to be known for my STUFF. I want to be remembered for who I was, and for how I treated the people who came in contact with me.

So what am I thankful for today? A clean closet…literally and figuratively.

Jan20

Day 20

Posted on January 20, 2013 by lsgrlr

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coffee So today I cleaned my house (if you knew me, you’d know that”s a…MIRACLE). As with all things in life this too bore a lesson. The lesson: tidy does not equal clean. You know what I mean it’s the ‘clean the room by stuffing everything under the bed or in the closet’ philosophy. Where the surface looks clean, BUT upon further inspection…

How many times do we do this? Our outside looks great but inside we are scared, angry, lonely, and lost. Why are we so frightened to be who we are? Who decided that not fixing what’s wrong and acting like everything is okay, was the correct mode of operation? Even more importantly why do we buy into the lie? Here’s the truth, people can make the outside the most beautiful thing in the world, but someday someone WILL take a closer look. When that happens instead of running and hiding look at it as your first step to healing. Better yet, just be honest. If you’re hurting, SAY IT. If you’re lonely, SAY IT. For in doing this we make our steps toward being clean and not just tidy.

What am I thankful for today? That I am learning to be clean and not just tidy.